In an article published on September 23, 2015 the European polyethylene terephthalate (PET) industry association Petcore Europe reports on the preliminary results of the Polymark research project. Polymark is a three-year project funded by the European Commission (EC) with the aim of developing a new technology that enables identification and sorting of polymers, such as PET, in the mixed plastics waste stream. In the scope of the project, flexible, coating-based, and food-contact approved chemical markers have been developed, as well as a marking technique of the targeted packaging and a detection technology suitable for high speed sorting. The project will provide technology enabling the recycling industry to more effectively distinguish between food-contact and non-food contact PET while complying with EU regulation on the use of recycled PET for food-contact applications, Petcore writes. In a next step, Polymark research will focus on adapting the technology to industrial conditions and on communicating the results and benefits of the technology to all potential users by means of workshops and trainings. The preliminary project results will be presented at the Petcore Europe conference on November 24, 2015 in Brussels (FPF reported). The full Polymark report is available on the Poylmark website.
Read more
Petcore (September 23, 2015). “Polymark preliminary results on novel identification technology open new frontiers for differentiating post-consumer PET streams.”
Reference
Pilon, L. et al. (2015). “Removable identification technology to differentiate food contact PET in mixed waste streams: Interim report.” Polymark (pdf)
